Cutting-die.



n. N. PRIME.

CUTTING DIE.

APPLICATION FILED 020.2, 1912.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

iTED STAES a'rnin'r ormon.

DANIEL N. PRIME, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, NEW JERSEY.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL N. PRIME, a citizen of the United States, residing at L nn, in the county of Essex and State of assachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in (jutting-Dies, of which. the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to cutting dies for use in a clicking press for dieing-out blanks from sheet material such as upper leather for boots and shoes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a die of such character as to permit limited compression or contraction in the direction of its height when subjected to pressure between uneven or non-parallel sur faces. It sometimes occurs that the cutting bed of a clicking press becomes uneven after long use or that the relative adjustment of the cutting bed and presser arms is disturbed so that they are no longer perfectlyparallel. Under these circumstances the quality of the cutting may be improved by the use of a die which is capable of adjusting itself somewhat to such unevenness. This improvement is partly due to the fact that the blow of the presser arm is not abruptly retarded when the arm encounters a high part of the die but is cushioned by the die and its pressure is therefor distributed and-becomes equally effective over the whole contour of the die.

' Another advantage incident to the employment of such dies is that the life of the cutting block is prolonged and the necessity of frequent planing avoided because the dies are not driven deeply into the block but will have the movement of their cutting edges arrested after they have penetrated through the blank. While a die of this character, as a whole, is compressible when forced against the cutting block its flexibility is not sufficient to permit any substantial compression or contraction while it is being forced through the sheet material of the blank. After its edge has passed through this material and encounters the denser cutting block the contraction of the die begins.

As herein shown a die having a resilient OF BATERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION CUTTING-DIE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented A g. 17, 1915 Application filed December 2, 1912.

Serial No. 734,505.

section above and co-extensive with its cutting edge comprises one example of a die possessing the characteristics above discussed. A die of this descripti n, acc0rdmgly, constitutes broadly one embodiment of the present invention. The resilient section may be constructed in different ways, it bemg necessary only that it shall permit the opposite edges of the die to yield toward each other,'maintaining or not, as the case may be, their initial parallel relation and that the force necessary to effect such yielding shall be greater than that required to force the cutting edge of the die through sheet material but not great enough to force the cutting edge very deeply into the ciitting block.

As herein shown the die comprises two relatively unyielding portions one or both of which are sharpened for cutting and are con nccted by a yielding portion of substantially U-shaped cross-section. This construction not only permits the two edge portions of the die to be compressed in the desired manner but also furnishes a rib which is a con-. venience in manipulating the'tlie and leaves the interior of the die unobstructed so that the blank may pass freely upwardly within it as they are cut out.

The advantages above discussed are importantin connection with a single edged die and they are of equal importance in connection with a double edged die.

Another important advantage incident to the invention as embodied in a double edged die is that the cutting edge which be uppermost and so subjected to t. engagement of the press arm is, the c mpressiblecharacter of the die. 'n a large measure relieved of the dulling tendency of this treatment.

Dies constructed in accordance with the present invention may be employed with good advantage in a clicking or cuttmg'press of the character disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,075,064, granted Oct. 7, 1913, that is to say, in a. cutting press having a metallic in stead of a wooden or fiber cutting bed. In

using such a press it has been found that a parallel relation of the edges of rigid dies must be preserved with the greatest accuracy in order to cited; perfect cutting and that the height of thedie in order to operate the-press must be adjusted very precisely to properly. By employing dies which are compressible, however, considerable latitude is at once permitted in both these respects. Dies intended for use in a press of this character are frequently provided with blunt cutting edges and it should be understood that such dies are clearly within the scope of the resent invention.

'lhese and other advantages incident to the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of pre ferred embodiments thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a double edged vamp die embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the lines 22 of Fig. .1; Fig. 3 is a view in elevation showing portions of a tip die under the action of a presser arm; Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the die shown in Fig. 3.

The double edgedvamp die shown in Figs. 1 and 2 comprises an endless frame of strip steel bent to conform in contour with the outline of the vamp it is desired to cut. The opposite edges of the die are formed in the relatively unyielding sections 10 and 12, the inner faces of which are in vertical alinement. The die herein shown is formed integral and the sections 10 and 12 are connected by a bowed resilient section 14. [his section may be thinner than the remainder of the die if desired although in many cases this will not be necessary as the curved configuration of the section alone wlll render the die sufficiently resilient. The section 14:

forms in the inner face of the die a continuous groove and on the outer face a projecting rib which, as already intimated, is of assistance in manipulating the die.

In Figs. 3 and 4 there is shown a single edged die which comprises the portions 20 and 22 connected by a yielding section 24. The die shown in these figures has a iiat pressure receiving edge formed on its portion 20 and a sharpened cutting edge on the portion 22. -These portions are connected by a section 2% which is substantially U- shaped in cross-section, having horizontally disposed sides spaced from each other.

In Fig. 3 the die is shown as resting upon a cutting block 30 which is somewhat higher (if: its inner edge than at its outer edge. il "hen the die is engaged by the presscr arm.

32 it is forced through. the skin of the leather 83 without appreciable contraction but when its inner side encounters the high part of the cutting block the part of the yielding sertion'2l above this portion of the die is contracted. The remainder of the die is at the same time subjected to sullicient pressure by the presscr arm to force it through the leather thus completely severing the blanlz.

When the presser arm is lifted the 'die is immediately restored to its initial shape on account of the resilient nature of the section 24:.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States:

' 1. A cutting die having opposite parallel edges one of which is sharpened for cutting and a section of resilient nature disposed parallel to and between the edges of the die.

2. A. cutting die having a continuous cutting edge, a resilient section above and coextensive with the cutting edge, said section being constructed and arranged to ield in the direction of the pressure applie to the die, and a pressure receiving edge above the resilient section.

3. A cutting posed section sharpened at its lower edge for cutting, an offset yielding section merging into said sharpened section, and an upper vertically disposed section provided with a pressure receiving edge.

i. A compressible cutting die having a pressure receiving portion, a cutting por tion, and a connecting resilient portion merging into the other two portions.

5. A cutting die having a vertically disposed pressure receiving portion. a vertically disposed cutting portion,- and a resilient connecting portion of substantially U- shaped cross-section.

. 6. A cutting die having a pressure receiving portion, a cutting portion disposed in vertical alinement therewith, and a resilient connecting portion with laterally disposed sides.

7. A. cutting die having a pressure receiving edge, a cutting edge, and an intermediate section having spaced laterally disposed sides yieldingly maintained in substantially parallel relation but capable of being unequally contracted at different points.

8. A cutting die having oppositely disposed edges either of which is adapted to act as acutting edge, and a resilient section located between, and co-extensive with, the edges of'the die.

9. A cutting die having oppositely disposed edges either of which is adapted to act as a cutting edge, and an intermediate resilient section located between its two edges permitting one edge to yield toward the other.

' 10. A cutting die having oppositely disposed edges both of which are shaped to act either as cutting or pressure receiving edges, said die comprising a single integral piece bent into the required shape and having an intermediate section of resilient nature condie having a vertically dis structcd and arranged to hold the opposite I ripheral cutting edge, an endless peripheral name to this specification in the presence of pressure receiving edge, and aresilient sectwo subscribing Witnesses. tion located between the cutting and pres- DANIEL N. PRIME. 7 sure receiving edges and being also periphitnesses: 5 erally complete. NORMAN C; HUssEY,

In testimony whereof I have signed my HERBERT W. KEN AY. 

